Last days in the Hospital

Auggie is 2155g or 4lb 12oz. He gained almost 2oz last night! He has taken his last 12 bottles without a problem and they are taking out his NG tube again. He is supposed to be able to take at least 35mL by bottle every 3-4hours. He hasn't taken less than 50mL in a while and for his 9am bottle, he ate 70mL and was asking for more! We think our little boy is growing and hungry!

This morning his doctor changed his orders - his breast milk is now fortified with the formula we will use at home and he no longer has to eat a minimum amount, but instead is allowed to consume what he wants. Nurse D told us this morning that she can't think of anything that would keep him in the ISCU past Monday.

Nurse J shared a story with us from a couple mornings ago: At 6am, he just popped his eyes open like he might just jump right out of bed and go make a bowl of cheerios. And of course, she said good morning to him and he grinned his "lady-catching" smile and back to dream land he went! See today's photo for Auggie's "lady-catching" smile. OK, Auggie! You have had enough time flirting with the nurses - now it is time to come home!

I can not tell you how excited we are for our little boy to come home. We are truly looking forward to spending all 24h a day with him. On the other hand, I can not even begin to express how much pain we experience as we think about bringing Auggie home - and how we should be bringing two babies home from the hospital. The next few weeks will be quite an adjustment for us and for many reasons. We have been missing Emmy more and more as Auggie's discharge gets closer. Having him home will be a giant blessing and comfort, and yet a huge reminder of what we have lost.